Antibiotic resistance of fecal indicator bacteria from fishponds and nearby water sources in the Ayeyarwady Delta region of Myanmar

Antibiotics are widely used for disease prevention in animal husbandry, including on chicken, cow and pig farms. Manure from farm animals can be used as fish food, especially in small-scale fish farming. Antibiotic residues and bacteria from the manure may spread to the fishpond water, which can lead to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant waterborne pathogens. This study focused on the antibiotic resistance of fecal indicator bacteria from fishponds and nearby water environments in the delta region of Myanmar. The findings showed that fishpond water had a higher abundance of bacteria than other surface water sources. Of the detected enterococci in the tested water samples, 14%, 1%, 30%, 10% and 14% were resistant to amoxicillin, vancomycin, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin and tetracycline, respectively. Multidrug-resistant enterococci were found in the chicken excreta-fed fishpond. A significant association was observed between the application of manure in fishponds and the occurrence of antibiotic-resistant enterococci (p < 0.001).